"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matt 7:13-14
"Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial.
"Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor 6:12
"Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial.
"Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor 6:12
HOW WIDE IS THE “NARROW PATH?”
If you draw a line with a pencil it will look very narrow, but if you then look at that line with a magnifying glass, it will appear much wider. Living in God’s will is not easy because God seldom presents things as a simple “black or white” decision. Instead He often defines the edges of a path that He wants us to stay on. While He calls it a narrow path, when you look at it up close, it is really quite broad. To make matters even more interesting, the verses that define the edges of the path are seldom located close to each other in the Bible. For example:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--
and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Prov 6:10-11
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--
for he grants sleep to those he loves. Ps 127:2
This can lead to some interesting discussions. For example, if you point out Ps 127:2 to a friend who is working late and getting up early, your friend might respond with Prov 6:10-11. As always, the point is whether we are trusting God and seeking what He wants for us each moment of our lives.
SEE MORE EXAMPLES
EYES ON GOD!
So which is it? Are we to heed the warning in Proverbs about too much sleep, or are we to accept that it is vain to get up early and work late because God grants sleep to those He loves? Once again, this paradox leads to our need to fully surrender to God and keep our eyes on Him. There are times when God gives us rest, and there are times when He calls us to work with all our strength. We can be selfishly working very hard in our own strength seeking money or fame, or because of our love for the Lord, we can be working with all the strength God gives us for His kingdom and His glory.
While the path defined for us by God is very narrow, especially when compared to what we see in the world, it is wide enough that God can lead people along what seem to be very different paths. There also may be times when He leads us to one side of the path and other times when He sends us to the other side. It is even possible to be within the boundaries of the narrow path and yet not be within God’s will for us at that particular moment of our lives.
The width of the narrow path and the legalistic attitude we discussed earlier can lead to arguments between Christians. An individual who God has on one side of the path may observe someone who God has all the way over on the other side of the path and tell that person that he is sinning, when in reality they both are seeking to follow God’s will and both are within the boundaries of the narrow path. This is why it is so important to have a good understanding of God’s Word. We need to be able to define the edges of the narrow path so we can ensure that we always keep ourselves within the boundaries of the path, and so we can avoid causing pain and tension by criticizing those led by God to walk on a different part of the path.
Consider/Discuss
1. Use these examples to discuss some of the “contradictions” that define the edges of the narrow path in the Bible.
2. St. Thérèse of Lisieux was known for shouting “Eyes on God!” whenever the sisters faced a problem, a temptation or a difficult decision. Why is keeping our eyes on God critical to maintain the delicate balance of staying within God's will on the narrow path?
Scripture Memory Verse
The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. (Heb 4:2)
If you draw a line with a pencil it will look very narrow, but if you then look at that line with a magnifying glass, it will appear much wider. Living in God’s will is not easy because God seldom presents things as a simple “black or white” decision. Instead He often defines the edges of a path that He wants us to stay on. While He calls it a narrow path, when you look at it up close, it is really quite broad. To make matters even more interesting, the verses that define the edges of the path are seldom located close to each other in the Bible. For example:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--
and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Prov 6:10-11
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--
for he grants sleep to those he loves. Ps 127:2
This can lead to some interesting discussions. For example, if you point out Ps 127:2 to a friend who is working late and getting up early, your friend might respond with Prov 6:10-11. As always, the point is whether we are trusting God and seeking what He wants for us each moment of our lives.
SEE MORE EXAMPLES
EYES ON GOD!
So which is it? Are we to heed the warning in Proverbs about too much sleep, or are we to accept that it is vain to get up early and work late because God grants sleep to those He loves? Once again, this paradox leads to our need to fully surrender to God and keep our eyes on Him. There are times when God gives us rest, and there are times when He calls us to work with all our strength. We can be selfishly working very hard in our own strength seeking money or fame, or because of our love for the Lord, we can be working with all the strength God gives us for His kingdom and His glory.
While the path defined for us by God is very narrow, especially when compared to what we see in the world, it is wide enough that God can lead people along what seem to be very different paths. There also may be times when He leads us to one side of the path and other times when He sends us to the other side. It is even possible to be within the boundaries of the narrow path and yet not be within God’s will for us at that particular moment of our lives.
The width of the narrow path and the legalistic attitude we discussed earlier can lead to arguments between Christians. An individual who God has on one side of the path may observe someone who God has all the way over on the other side of the path and tell that person that he is sinning, when in reality they both are seeking to follow God’s will and both are within the boundaries of the narrow path. This is why it is so important to have a good understanding of God’s Word. We need to be able to define the edges of the narrow path so we can ensure that we always keep ourselves within the boundaries of the path, and so we can avoid causing pain and tension by criticizing those led by God to walk on a different part of the path.
Consider/Discuss
1. Use these examples to discuss some of the “contradictions” that define the edges of the narrow path in the Bible.
2. St. Thérèse of Lisieux was known for shouting “Eyes on God!” whenever the sisters faced a problem, a temptation or a difficult decision. Why is keeping our eyes on God critical to maintain the delicate balance of staying within God's will on the narrow path?
Scripture Memory Verse
The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. (Heb 4:2)